1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hand tools used to separate cables, such as coaxial video cables, that are held side-by-side by a connecting web of material. More specifically, this invention relates to tools that cut through an attaching web of material to separate adjacent cables and to tools used to strip off any excess web material so that the cable may be attached to a connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Coaxial cables are widely used in many different applications, particularly including the distribution of video signals. In most situations, a single coaxial cable is all that is needed to carry the necessary signals, but there are many other applications where multiple cables are needed, and the cable manufacturing industry has provided various types of multiple cable assemblies to meet these needs.
For long suspended spans, the coaxial cable may be provided with an attached support wire, referred to as the "messenger wire". Messengered cable of this type commonly has the messenger wire positioned adjacent to and parallel with the coaxial cable with both cables being encased in insulating coatings. The two insulated cables are connected together by a web of the same insulating material forming an integral side-by-side coaxial cable and messenger wire support.
In other applications, pairs or triples of coaxial cable may be desired for redundancy or to increase signal carrying capacity. Multiple cable designs may also have twisted pair or multistrand control wires placed adjacent to coaxial cables. Messenger wire supports may be added to these dual and triple cable designs. In each of these designs the cables are held in a side-by-side relationship by a web, usually formed out of the same material used to provide the outer cable insulation layer.
To use such cables, the web must be severed for some distance back from the end of the cable to free the cable for connection to an end point. Often the web is designed to be quite weak, allowing the adjacent cables to be pulled apart. However, this technique can result in damaging the insulating coating on one or more of the cables. Another method of separating the cables is to cut them with a knife, however, this also risks damage to the insulating coating if the knife wanders away from the centerline of the web as the cut is made.
Another difficulty with these techniques is that they leave a ridge of excess web material along the cable. For coaxial cables, in particular, this ridge can interfere with proper attachment of the electrical connector. Coaxial connectors are usually designed for use with coaxial cables having a circular defect-free cross section. The excess web material left with prior slitting techniques produces a protrusion on the cross section which may prevent the cable from properly seating completely in the connector. Alternatively, the ridge may prevent the connector sleeve from properly sealing around the cable when the connector is crimped.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cable slitter for separating messengered cables, dual and triple coaxial cables and other types of multiple cables composed of side-by-side cables connected by a web.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cable slitter that accurately follows and cuts the web between side-by-side adjacent cables without damaging the cables.
A further object of the invention is to provide a cable slitter that remains closed for storage and open for insertion of the cable.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cable slitter that protects the slitting blade when the tool is not in use.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a cable slitter that can trim away any excess web material after the web has been slit.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.